The invention relates to a packaging system with a tool for enclosing electronic components in a carrier tape, and a method of populating the carrier tape.
For the purpose of transport and delivery to an automatic placement machine, electronic components are often enclosed in what are known as carrying or transport tapes, which can be stored and transported in the rolled-up state. Transport tapes of this type have preformed tape pockets, in which electronic components can be arranged and transported in an accurate position, and can be removed from the transport tapes in an accurate position. For the purpose of transport, the tape pockets of a transport tapes are covered with the aid of a covering tape, so that the electronic components cannot fall out of the tape pockets and cannot change their position in relation to the three spatial axes until they are removed from the transport tapes.
During the introduction and positioning, in particular of small and/or lightweight electronic components and/or semiconductor chips, such as are needed in great numbers for integrated circuit technology, illumination and laser engineering and the like, rapid placement with a high throughput rate is associated with the risk that the components will jump out of the tape pockets and therefore hamper the placement operation of an automatic placement machine for transport tapes considerably. Not only does the placement have to be interrupted, but in principle the automatic machine has to look for the electronic components that have jumped out and the placement position of the automatic machine has to be redefined and readjusted.
A further problem in the placement of transport tapes with small and/or lightweight electronic components in the millmeter range is to be seen in the fact that the precision requirements both on the shaping of the tape pockets and on the automatic placement machines require continually increasing investment and development costs, in order to position the electronic components precisely and in an accurate position in the tape pockets, and in order to meet these precision requirements.
Electronic components are inserted into the pockets of the transport tape by means of a rotary cross or a pivoting arm. The electronic components are at this time already separated on the wafer or on the blank to such an extent that they can be separated from a carrier film and picked up by the pivoting arm. All the methods described need a relatively great deal of handling and are therefore associated with certain minimum cycle times.
Pick-up devices for handling and positioning semiconductor chips at their envisaged installation location are disclosed by JP 100 84 005 A, by JP 100 84 006 A and by JP 100 84 032 A. A device for positioning semiconductor chips is also disclosed by JP 061 51 483 A.